Venice holiday snaps snare iPad thief

A man has been arrested in Milan for stealing an iPad after the owner of the tablet discovered holiday snaps of the alleged thief in Venice. The owner managed to access the photos thanks to the device’s iCloud serivce.

Published: 22 April 2014 17:25 CEST

The man was caught after taking photos with the stolen iPad while on holiday in Venice. Photo: Comando Provinciale Carabinieri Milano

The iPad was stolen from the owner’s parked car in the Barona border district of Milan at the end of March, according to the Milan edition of Corriere della Sera.

At first the 52-year-old owner paid no attention to the new photos appearing on his phone, which he was able to access thanks to the iCloud service, a device which lets you access your music, photos, documents through other connected devices.

However, when a photo of a mystery man in Piazza San Marco in the heart of Venice popped up on his phone alarm bells started ringing. Suspecting the man had something to do with the theft of his iPad, he decided to report him to police.

When he presented the photo to police, they immediately recognized the alleged thief as a 25-year-old local with previous convictions for theft and receiving stolen goods.

According to reports, the man initially denied the allegations but fell silent when he was shown photos of his wife and son on holiday.

He was then accompanied by police to his home where he retrieved the tablet and then restored it to its rightful owner.

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Venice launched a new scheme Thursday to charge day-trippers for entering the historic Italian city, a world first intended to ease the pressure of mass tourism — but many residents are opposed.

Visitors entering the UNESCO World Heritage site for the day have to buy a five-euro ($5.3) ticket, with inspectors carrying out spot checks at key entry points.

Around 10,000 tickets had been sold by the time the scheme began at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) on Thursday, according to Simone Venturini, the local councillor responsible for tourism.

Tourists stand outside the Santa Lucia railway station as they wait to pass controls, visitors entering the UNESCO World Heritage site for one day have to buy a five-euro ($5.3) ticket, in Venice, on 25 April 2024. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)

“I think it’s good, because it will perhaps slow down the numbers of tourists in Venice,” said Sylvain Pelerin, a French tourist who has been visiting for more than 50 years.

Protestors hold banners as they take part in a demonstration against the new “Venice Access Fee”, organised by the list “Tutta la citta insieme” (The whole city together) and members of several Venetians trade associations in “Piazzale Roma” in Venice, on April 25, 2024. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)

Overnight visitors, who already pay a tourist tax, will be exempt, as will minors under the age of 14 among others.

But not everyone is happy, with some residents set to protest against a measure they say curbs fundamental rights to freedom of movement.

“This is not a museum, it’s not a protected ecological area, you shouldn’t have to pay — it’s a city,” Marina Dodino from the local residents association ARCI, told AFP.

A woman holds a banner reading “Venice is not sold, it is defended” as protestors take part in a demonstration, against the new “Venice Access Fee”. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP